1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and more particularly, to protection devices for compound semiconductor circuitry, such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) circuitry.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Electronic circuits can be exposed to transient electrical events, or electrical signals of a relatively short duration having rapidly changing voltage and high power. Transient electrical events can include, for example, electrical discharge/electrostatic overstress (ESD/EOS) events arising from the abrupt release of charge from an object or person to an electronic circuit. Transient electrical events can damage an integrated circuit (IC) due to overvoltage conditions and/or high levels of power dissipation over relatively small areas of the IC. High power dissipation can increase circuit temperature, and can lead to numerous problems, such as junction damage, metal damage, and/or surface charge accumulation.
Transient electrical event protection can be difficult to provide for certain gallium arsenide (GaAs) or other compound semiconductor circuitry, including, for example, radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers, attenuators, gain blocks, multi-voltage circuits, drivers, and/or switches. For instance, conventional ESD/EOS protection devices can have a large parasitic capacitance that can adversely impact circuit gain, linearity, and/or bandwidth, and thus can be unsuitable for protecting such circuits. Additionally, the performance of ESD/EOS protection devices can be limited by the relatively low thermal conductivity and/or current-handling capability associated with compound semiconductor technologies. Accordingly, there is a need for improved protection devices and circuits for providing protection to compound semiconductor circuitry, including, for example, protection devices and circuits having high current-handling capability and compact area.